The French Revolution
Review Questions
1
What was the French Revolution?
The French Revolution (1789-1799)
• The French Revolution was a period of radical
social and political change in France.
• The monarchy was eventually abolished.
• Feudalism, aristocratic and religious privileges
were also abolished.
• Old ideas about social and political hierarchy
were replaced by enlightenment ideas like
equality and inalienable rights.
2
What were some of the causes of
the French Revolution?
Causes of the French Revolution
Economic Crisis
• High Government Debt caused by involvement in wars , overspending, and bad financial management
• Debt led to higher taxes
• Inflation/Higher Taxes
Food Shortage/Famine
• Caused by bad weather/harvests
• Made worse by large/growing population
Social Inequalities
• Society is divided into three unequal estates
• The Third Estate is the largest but has the least amount of political power, and the fewest rights and
privileges
Enlightenment Ideas
• Equality, Freedom, Natural/ Inalienable Rights, Fraternity/ Brotherhood
• Government gets its power from the people
• The people have the right to overthrow bad governments
Weak King unable to effectively deal with these problems
3
Who was the monarch during
the French Revolution?
Louis XVI
1775 1793
4
Who was Louis XVI’s wife?
Marie
Antoinette
5
How was French society divided
during the Old Regime?
French Society was divided into
Three Estates.
Who were the members of each
estate?
1st Estate 1 Vote 
2nd Estate 1 Vote 
3rd Estate 1

Clergy
No Taxes
The Old Regime
Three Estates
Aristocracy/Nobles
Few Taxes
Commoners
97% of the Population
Paid the Most Taxes
Vote
Had the fewest privileges
Embraced Enlightenment Ideas
Bourgeoisie/Middle Class
•Had more in common with the first two estates
than most of the third estate
•Educated, merchants, bankers, doctors,
lawyers, writers, public officials
Workers/Wage Laborers
Skilled crafts people, servants
Peasants
80% of the Population
Paid ½ of their income in taxes, tithes, and dues
What were the complaints of the
Third Estate?
2nd Estate
1 Vote
1st Estate
1 Vote
3rd Estate
1 Vote
6
What meeting led to the beginning
of the French Revolution?
The Meeting of the Estates General in May, 1789
The last time it was called into session was in 1614!
7
How did the Third Estate respond to being
locked out of the Estates General?
The Third Estate meets in an indoor tennis court, takes an oath not to disband until
they have written a constitution for France. This known as the “Tennis Court Oat.”
The Third Estate also rename themselves the National Assembly.
8
What event is celebrated as
France’s independence day?
The Storming of the Bastille
What was the Bastille?
The Bastille…
• The Bastille was a medieval fortress with 8 towers,
which at the time of the French Revolution housed
only a few common criminals.
• In the past, it had been used to house political
prisoners.
• It had been a symbol of tyranny. Cardinal Richelieu,
acting for King Louis XIII, had imprisoned enemies of
the King. Prisoners were arrested in secret, were not
given a trial, and not told of the charges.
• This was long before the reign of Louis XVI, but the
mystique of secrecy and terror made it a focus of the
anger of the Parisian mob.
What was the storming of the Bastille?
9
The Storming of the Bastille
• French citizens invaded the Bastille (a prison)
to get weapons to defend themselves,
because there were rumors that the king was
plotting to kill members of the National
Assembly.
10
What was the Great Fear?
The Great Fear
• Rumors circulate that nobles were hiring outlaws to
terrorize peasants. So, the peasants begin to attack the
homes of nobles and burn important documents that
recorded dues to the nobles.
11
What was the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and the Citizen?
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
• This was a document
adopted by the National
Assembly that reflected
the ideas of the
Enlightenment and the
Declaration of
Independence (life,
liberty, equality, and
fraternity)
• This document is still a
part of the French
Constitution today.
12
What was the Declaration of the Rights
of Woman and the Female Citizen?
Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen
• Olympe de Gouges felt that the
Declaration of Rights of Man and
Citizen was not being applied to
women.
• In this document, she wrote
about extending the right to vote
to women, she demanded a
national assembly of women, and
stressed that men must yield
rights to women, and she
emphasized women's education.
13
What was the women’s bread march?
The Women’s Bread March to Versailles
• Women were angry over the price of bread and marched to
Versailles and demanded bread. The King and Queen
were forced to flee to Paris. Before leaving the King gave all
the bread in Versailles to the women.
14
How did the Constitution of 1791
change the French government?
1st Constitution
The Constitution of 1791
1st Constitution
• The National Assembly wrote a new
Constitution which created a constitutional
monarchy with a unicameral legislative
assembly elected by voters who had the
power to create laws.
• The King could not disband the legislature.
• This limited the power of the monarch.
15
What was the “Flight to Varennes?”
The Flight to Varennes
• Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette decided to flee
to Austrian territory, where
the Queen’s brother was
emperor. They disguised
themselves as ordinary
citizens, but were
recognized at a road stop
in Varennes and forced to
return to Paris.
16
Why did France declare war on
Austria?
France declared war on Austria because …
• European nations feared the spread of revolutionary fervor
from France and were highly critical of the new
government in France and threatened to intervene to
restore the power of King.
17
How did the National Convention
change the French government?
2nd Constitution
The National Convention…
2nd Constitution
• Abolished the monarchy, and France became a
republic (government run by elected
representatives).
• A new legislature (law making body) was elected.
• A unicameral (one house) legislature was based
on universal male suffrage which meant that all
men could vote, whether or not he owned
property.
• They also offered help to any people around the
world who wanted to overthrow their
governments!
18
What happened to Louis XVI?
Louis XVI is beheaded
c
The trial of the king
was hastened by the
discovery in a secret
cupboard in the
Tuilieres of a cache of
documents.
c
They proved
conclusively Louis’
knowledge and
encouragement of
foreign intervention.
c
The National
Convention voted
387 to 334 to
execute the monarchs.
19
What happened to Marie Antoinette?
Marie Antoinette was also beheaded.
20
What was the Committee of
Public Safety?
The Committee of Public Safety
• The committee was
created to direct the war
effort.
• This committee, led by
Maximilien Robespierre,
decided who were the
enemies of the republic
and beheaded them.
21
Who was Maximilien Robspierre?
Maximilien Robespierre…
• Was the head of the
Committee of Public
Safety.
• He is known for saying,
“Terror is nothing more
than justice, prompt,
severe, inflexible.”
• The reign of terror
ended when he was
beheaded.
22
What was the reign of terror?
The Reign of Terror
• During the reign of terror,
neighborhood watch committees
hunted down suspected traitors
and turned them over to the
courts.
• Pressured by mobs, the courts
carried out swift trials.
• Many innocent people were
sentenced to death.
• 30,000 people were executed,
85% were peasants, urban poor,
or middle class – the same people
who were supposed to benefit
from the Revolution.
• The reign of terror ended when
Robespierre was beheaded.
The “Monster” Guillotine
The last guillotine execution in France was in 1939!
23
France’s constitution was changed for a 3rd
time in 1795.
How did this new constitution change the
French government?
The Directory
3rd Constitution
• The French government wrote a new
Constitution which consisted of an executive
(someone who enforces the law).
• The executive branch was led by a council of 5
men known as the directory.
• A bicameral legislature (2-house legislature)
was also created.
24
What was life like in France
under the rule of the Directory?
Life under The Directory
•
•
•
•
•
There was no progress
There was a lot of corruption
There continued to be economic problems
France continued to fight in wars
The Directory became more and more
dependant on the military
25
How did the rule of the Directory
come to an end?
Napoleon Takes Over
• Napoleon, a
military general
stages a coup
d’état and gains
power.
• He would rule as a
dictator and
eventually declare
himself emperor of
France.
26
What were some of the effects of
the French Revolution?
Effects of the French Revolution
•
•
•
•
•
Short-Term Effects
Civil disorder and waves
of violence
Government control of
the church
End of Feudalism in
France
End of the Monarchy in
France
The bourgeoisie became
the most dominant social
class.
Long-Term Effects
• Class privileges were
replaced by the
enlightenment idea of
equal rights
• The French Revolution
inspired other revolutions
around the world.
• French culture spread
around the world (metric
system, fashion)